WA State Boys succeed on national stage

The WA State Boys under-13 team are celebrating success after claiming the Football Federation Australia National Youth Championships title in Coffs Harbour today.

WA’s under-14 team were unlucky runners up after a gruelling schedule of four games in two days during the middle of the tournament.

Football West Chief Executive James Curtis was delighted to see the efforts of the players and officials had been rewarded.

“A great deal of work goes into the State team program with the aim of producing a positive outcome and that’s certainly been the case in Coffs Harbour,” Curtis said. “Aside from the efforts of the coaching staff, clubs and, of course, the players, who have given everything to show what they are capable of, there has also been an incredible commitment made behind the scenes by parents.

“Congratulations to everyone who played a part in the success of the under-13 and under-14 State teams.”

Football West Skill Acquisition Trainer and under-13 assistant coach Brad Hassell said WA was positioned for future success after an excellent tournament.

“When you look at the number of players we have compared to other states, we’re punching above our weight,” Hassell said.

“This has been justification for all the work everyone has put in, including the coach John Walmsley. There are some very good kids in WA and looking at groups even younger than those we had in Coffs Harbour we’re starting to see consistency in the talent pool.

“If the environment is right and everyone is pulling in the right direction you can achieve these sorts of results.”

A 2-1 win over South Australia, secured through Mathieu Feillafe’s double, earned the WA under-13 team top spot in their final game of the tournament.

Football West Technical Manager Cris Ola said both teams had performed exceptionally well throughout the week.

“We knew the boys were ready for the NYC but both groups performed even better than expected,” Ola said. “The under-13 team played some fantastic football and it was great for them to finish on top of the table.

“But the under-14s were also excellent. All of them deserve a huge amount of credit for their performances on the field and how they conducted themselves.

“The environment that our clubs are producing is getting better all the time, and coaches in WA want to play their part in developing better players. By liaising with Glory and monitoring players, WA football is developing positive results.”

The under-14 team had performed well throughout the tournament and were also in position to top their table going into the final matches.

A busy period of four games in two days, which concluded with a loss to eventual winners Victoria Metro, left WA just three points off top spot. They finished their campaign with a 7-1 win over South Australia Red.